Optoelectronic component and illumination device

Abstract

An optoelectronic component has optically active region, with the optically active region comprising at least one semiconductor chip which is provided for generating electromagnetic radiation, and comprising a beam-forming element through which at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted from the semiconductor chip in operation passes and which has an optical axis, and with the optically active region having quadrant symmetry with respect to a coordinate system which is perpendicular to the optical axis. An illumination device has an optoelectronic component such as this.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An illumination device having a luminous area and a plurality of optoelectronic components, each optoelectronic component having an optically active region, wherein
 the optically active region in each case comprises at least one semiconductor chip operable to generate electromagnetic radiation, the optically active region in each case comprises a beam-forming element through which at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted from the semiconductor chip in operation passes and which has an optical axis, 
 the optically active region in each case has quadrant symmetry with respect to a coordinate system which is perpendicular to the optical axis, the optical axes are parallel to one another, 
 the luminous area is arranged downstream of the optoelectronic components in the direction of the optical axes, 
 regions on the luminous area which are illuminated by neighboring optoelectronic components overlap at least in places, and 
 the optoelectronic components have essentially the same emission characteristics and are arranged at equal distances so that illumination intensities of the individual optoelectronic components on the luminous area overlap to produce a illumination intensity which is constant in all directions on the luminous area. 
 
     
     
       2. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a part of the beam-forming element or the entire beam- forming element has the quadrant symmetry. 
     
     
       3. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the beam-forming element comprises a lens which has a smooth radiation outlet surface having quadrant symmetry. 
     
     
       4. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the radiation outlet surface has a form which is representable by a polynominal of x and y, containing only even-order terms in x and y, wherein x and y correspond to coordinates of a first and of a second axis, respectively, of the coordinate system. 
     
     
       5. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the radiation outlet surface is composed of a plurality of segments, each segment having a form which is representable by a polynominal of x and y, containing only even-order terms in x and y, wherein x and y correspond to coordinates of a first and of a second axis, respectively, of the coordinate system and wherein the radiation outlet surface is not kinked at the transitions between the segments. 
     
     
       6. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the radiation outlet surface comprises a central area through which the optical axis passes and which has concave curvature, is planar or has slightly convex curvature and which has a rectangular form whose corners are rounded, in a plan view of the radiation outlet surface. 
     
     
       7. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the radiation outlet surface comprises an edge area which at least partially surrounds the central area at a distance from the optical axis, and has convex curvature and which has a rectangular form whose corners are rounded, in a plan view of the radiation outlet surface. 
     
     
       8. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each optoelectronic semiconductor component comprises a first semiconductor chip which emits electromagnetic radiation with a first spectral distribution during operation, and a second semiconductor chip which emits electromagnetic radiation with a second spectral distribution during operation. 
     
     
       9. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each optoelectronic semiconductor component emits light with a white color impression during operation. 
     
     
       10. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the optical axes of the plurality of optoelectronic components are arranged essentially parallel to one another. 
     
     
       11. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the optoelectronic components are arranged such that areas which are illuminated by adjacent components on a plane perpendicular to the optical axes intersect at least in places. 
     
     
       12. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the optoelectronic components are arranged at the grid points of an imaginary grid, the grid has basic units which are rectangular or are square, and
 grid lines of the imaginary grid coincide with first and second axes, respectively, of the coordinate systems which are perpendicular to the optical axes. 
 
     
     
       13. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a distance of two optoelectronic components which are proximate in the direction of grid lines of the grid is selected in such way that beam cones of said two components overlap with mirror symmetry with respect to a plane which is parallel to the optical axes and arranged centered between the two optoelectronic components. 
     
     
       14. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the distance is selected in such way that the illumination intensities of the overlapping beam cones have mirror symmetry with respect to a plane which is parallel to the coordinate systems and includes a point at which the illumination intensities of the overlapping beam cones are equal. 
     
     
       15. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 12 , comprising specular reflective side surfaces which are arranged parallel to the optical axes of the optoelectronic components and surround the optoelectronic components, wherein the reflective side surfaces run parallel to grid lines of the grid. 
     
     
       16. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein one side surface and one adjacent optoelectronic component are at a distance from one another which corresponds to half a side length of a basic unit of the grid. 
     
     
       17. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a first optoelectronic component which emits electromagnetic radiation with a first spectral distribution during operation, and comprising a second optoelectronic component which emits electromagnetic radiation with a second spectral distribution during operation. 
     
     
       18. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 1 , which emits light with a white color impression during operation. 
     
     
       19. The illumination device as claimed in  claim 1 , which is a back-lighting apparatus. 
     
     
       20. An illumination device having a plurality of optoelectronic components, each optoelectronic component having an optically active region, wherein
 the optically active region comprises at least one semiconductor chip operable to generate electromagnetic radiation, and a beam-forming element through which at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted from the semiconductor chip in operation passes and which has an optical axis, 
 the optically active region has quadrant symmetry with respect to a coordinate system which is perpendicular to the optical axis; 
 the optical axes of the plurality of optoelectronic components are arranged essentially parallel to one another; 
 the optoelectronic components are arranged such that areas which are illuminated by adjacent components on a plane perpendicular to the optical axes intersect at least in places; 
 the optoelectronic components are arranged at the grid points of an imaginary grid, the grid has basic units which are rectangular or are square; 
 the grid lines of the imaginary grid coincide with first and second axes, respectively, of the coordinate systems which are perpendicular to the optical axes; 
 a distance of two optoelectronic components which are proximate in the direction of grid lines of the grid is selected in such way that beam cones of said two components overlap with mirror symmetry with respect to a plane which is parallel to the optical axes and arranged centered between the two optoelectronic components. 
 
     
     
       21. An illumination device having a plurality of optoelectronic components, each optoelectronic component having an optically active region, and comprising specular reflective side surfaces, wherein
 the optically active region comprises at least one semiconductor chip operable to generate electromagnetic radiation, and a beam-forming element through which at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted from the semiconductor chip in operation passes and which has an optical axis, and 
 the optically active region has quadrant symmetry with respect to a coordinate system which is perpendicular to the optical axis; 
 the optical axes of the plurality of optoelectronic components are arranged essentially parallel to one another; 
 the optoelectronic components are arranged such that areas which are illuminated by adjacent components on a plane perpendicular to the optical axes intersect at least in places; 
 the optoelectronic components are arranged at the grid points of an imaginary grid, the grid has basic units which are rectangular or are square; 
 the grid lines of the imaginary grid coincide with first and second axes, respectively, of the coordinate systems which are perpendicular to the optical axes; 
 the reflective side surfaces are arranged parallel to the optical axes of the optoelectronic components and surround the optoelectronic components and run parallel to grid lines of the grid; and 
 one side surface and one adjacent optoelectronic component are at a distance from one another which corresponds to half a side length of a basic unit of the grid.